SpongeBob #1_Small.jpgTalk about an undersea no-brainer: SpongeBob SquarePants creator Steve Hillenburg will be creating the first ever standalone US SpongeBob comic, to be distributed by Bongo. Former Nickelodeon Magazine comics editor Chris Duffy, who edited the SpongeBob comics in that magazine, will edit the series.

“I’m hoping that fans will enjoy finally having a ‘SpongeBob’ comic book from me,“ says Hillenburg. “All the stories will be original and always true to the humor, characters, and universe of the ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ series.”

Other creators who have signed on include James Kochalka (Johnny Boo, American Elf), Hilary Barta (Fear Agent), Graham Annable (Grickle), Gregg Schigiel (X-Babies), and Jacob Chabot (Mighty Skullboy Army, X-Babies).

Every issue of SpongeBob Comics will feature a full 32-pages of feature length stories, shorts, and fun pages, suitable for all ages. In the first issue, SpongeBob has a recurring nightmare about his favorite cereal; Squidward introduces music to the Krusty Krab; and Mermaid Man is freaked out by a fan who won’t…stop…staring! Also, Patrick and SpongeBob team up for the most idiotic joke ever; SpongeBob learns to glow; and readers are invited to draw the absorbing one’s new hairdo.

Each new bimonthly SpongeBob Comics issue retails for $2.99 U.S. and is distributed through Bongo Comics Group, Matt Groening’s comic book company, which publishes Simpsons Comics, Bart Simpson, and Futurama Comics, among other titles.


Now in its 11th year, SpongeBob SquarePants has long ago entered the annals of great cartoon characters, beloved by the intended child audience and stoners alike.

The first issue of the comic hits on February 6th and will be published six times a year.

1 COMMENT

  1. Yay! This is good news! My daughter’s been complaining for a while that the show has lost its direction. Maybe Mr. Hillenberg will show them how it’s done!

    And it’s coming from Bongo. Nice! Good possibility this will show up at my supermarket spinner rack!

  2. Isn’t this like 10 years too late??? NOW they want to do a comic? Every other avenue dry up? They should have done a comic in the 4-5th year of the show. Kids are kind of still into it but most have moved on to the next thing in my mind.

  3. Keyser: There have been SpongeBob comics done in the past (lot of em!) just not specifically for the comic book store market. And considering SpongeBob is still the highest rated cartoon show on TV and sells billions in merchandise and other forms of books, I doubt the other avenues have “dried up” just yet.

    Not to mention the international market:

  4. I should note that while it’s great to be credited as the editor of SpongeBob comics for Nick Mag, I was one of three comics editors who worked on Sponge-comics there. Frank Pittarese, Dave Roman, and I all edited SpongeBob comics at one time or another.